Proposed medical center gets go-ahead

Council overrides traffic concerns

RANCHO PENASQUITOS  A medical facility with an urgent care center will be erected in Rancho Peñasquitos despite opposition from some residents who’ve raised concerns about traffic and safety.

The San Diego City Council last week gave final approval for the 51,500-square-foot facility that Palomar Pomerado Health and a private developer are building on Black Mountain Road just south of state Route 56.

The project includes a two-story medical building and a one-story wellness center where health education classes will be held. The 4.4-acre site at 12855 Black Mountain Road is the former home of Maranatha Chapel and its school, and is next to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Palomar Pomerado will operate the wellness center and Pacific Medical Buildings will construct the other facility and lease it to doctors or a physicians group. Pacific Medical Buildings did not respond to a request for an interview.

Andy Hoang, a spokesman for Palomar Pomerado, said the facility is consistent with a pledge the health district made to voters who approved a $496 million bond measure in 2004 to expand and renovate its facilities in North County. More than 70 percent of Rancho Peñasquitos voters supported the measure, Hoang said.

Residents who live near the site raised concerns about the proposed facility last year and have continued to speak out against it.

At a City Council meeting last month, residents reiterated concerns about adding more traffic to busy Black Mountain Road and potential problems with cars entering and exiting the medical facility.

“The big concern we have is the safety issue at the driveway there,” Lynn Graham said.

City staffers said the traffic would not result in more congestion because it would be spread throughout the day. Staff also did not support a proposal to add a traffic signal near the entrance to the facility, saying there is one 430 feet away at the on- and off-ramps for state Route 56.

The City Council voted 6-1 to rezone the site and allow construction of the medical facility. Councilwoman Donna Frye said she voted against it because she was not able to get written assurances that the developer would conduct a traffic study after construction and address any issue that came up.